Monday, February 29, 2016

“[Abraham]
was trusting God so much that he was willing to do whatever God told him to do.
His faith was made complete by what he did – by his actions.” (James 2:22 NLT)

To
many Christians, “faith” means sincerely believing something is true when you
don’t have any evidence. In fact, faith is acting on what you know full well is
true: God is able to keep His promise and can be trusted to do it. Faith that
is only theoretical conviction isn’t faith yet. Real faith – living faith,
saving faith – does something about it.

God
had promised Abraham that Isaac would be the father of an entire nation. When
the Lord commanded him to sacrifice his only son, faith wasn’t some abstract
issue of believing without evidence. Faith meant taking the risk of obedience –
frightening as it was – because Abraham knew God could keep the promise even if
Isaac died. Raising a son from the dead is right down God’s alley!

The
life of faith is a life of taking risks that aren’t actually risky. When God
puts a challenge before you – even one that seems crazy to your human nature –
you can step out in confidence because you know God is able and faithful. When
your faith and actions are working together, then your faith will be made
complete.

Friday, February 26, 2016

[Lent]
involves gathering in community… Lent was traditionally a time to prepare for
baptism and for those who had separated themselves from the community to be
restored by penitence and forgiveness. It invites us to remember that in the
early days of Christianity, “the whole congregation was reminded of the mercy
and forgiveness proclaimed in the gospel of Jesus Christ and the need we all
have to renew our faith.” None of us come to either the days of Lent or the joy
of Easter morning alone. We are joined by the company of believers -- not only
the ones who sit beside us [in church], but also those who have made the Lenten
journey through the centuries. It is the latter who have left us guidance for
how to prepare for the resurrection of Christ. They have left spiritual
practices to enable us to walk through the valley of these 40 days and to
engage with our sin and mortality and to receive with gratitude God’s love and
grace.

Thursday, February 25, 2016

Jesus wants us to see that the neighbor next door or the
people sitting next to us on a plane or in a classroom are not interruptions to
our schedule. They are there by divine appointment.Jesus wants us to see their needs, their
loneliness, their longings, and He wants to give us the courage to reach out to
them.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Jesus said, “You did not choose Me but I
chose you” (John 15:16). This statement could ruffle some feathers because we
always want to be the ones doing the choosing. Providing choices has become a
marketable asset, from the supermarket’s staggering array of options to the
infinite amount of choices we make each day concerning what we will eat, wear,
and visit.

Inversely, not being chosen can have its
negative sides. A humiliating childhood memory concerns recess when I was the
last kid chosen for a team activity. Worse than being chosen last, I felt
merely tolerated by my teammates.

Our desire to be chosen is why Gospel
stories such as the parable of the ninety-nine sheep are so powerful for many
of us. Jesus left all the rest and came looking for me! Amazing things happen
when Jesus calls a person by name. To be named is to be called; to be called is
to be chosen; to be chosen is to be claimed. When Peter, James, and John heard
their names, each of them immediately abandoned what they were about, all that
they had, and whom they had become. Jesus has this uncanny ability to make a
person feel chosen.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

"I will praise the Lord as long as
I live. I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath. Don’t put your
confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they
breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with
them. But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper, whose
hope is in the Lord their God."(Psalm 146:2-5 NLT)

The problem with too much Christianity
is not that it is too radical, but rather that it is not radical enough --
putting too much faith in politics and politicians rather than in the One Who
governs all -- too much energy in building kingdoms rather than advancing The
Kingdom -- and too much time pointing to ourselves rather than to the One Who
was, and is, and is to come.

Monday, February 22, 2016

It's the
picture of violence, yet the key to peace.A picture of
suffering, yet the key to healing.A picture of sorrow, yet the key to joy.A picture of
death, yet the key to life.A picture of
utter weakness, yet the key to power.A picture of
capital punishment, yet the key to mercy and forgiveness.A picture of
vicious hatred, yet the key to love.A picture of
supreme shame, yet the Christian's supreme boast.

Friday, February 19, 2016

Jesus once
said that with God, all things are possible, and the great thing about life
with God is that your next step is always possible.That step toward God is always waiting, no
matter what you have done or how you have messed up your life.Jesus was hanging on a cross with a thief
hanging next to Him, and Jesus turned to him and said, “Today you willbe with Me in paradise.”

Thursday, February 18, 2016

Is it really necessary to serve God?
What is the purpose of changing our priorities to accomplish tasks that God
could honestly do better and more quickly without us? Peter addresses the
importance of serving God in 1 Peter 4:10-11: “Each one should use whatever
gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in
its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very
words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides,
so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the
glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.” Peter makes it clear that we have
received our gifts from God for two purposes -- to serve others and to bring
praise to God. Serving isn’t about us receiving attention or glory; it is for
Him to receive glory.

How does God receive glory when we
serve? The transforming power of Jesus Christ is on display in the lives of
those who have traded selfishness for selflessness. Peter says believers should
recognize that we are speaking and serving directly on behalf of God to others,
while He gives the ability and strength for us to do so. And when we direct glory
towards Him instead of accepting it for ourselves, we stand out from the crowd
of those who glorify only themselves. And that difference in our lives causes
people to examine the life-changing nature of a relationship with Jesus Christ.
It validates our faith in front of others.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

We
cannot remain anonymous in our faith forever. God has a way of flushing us out
of our quiet little places, and when He does we must be ready to speak for Him.
1 Peter 3:15 says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who
asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

"Long
for the pure milk of the Word, that by it you may grow…"(1 Peter 2:2 NASB)

Far
beyond your highest hopes, God wants you, as His son or daughter, to live an
attractive life that is competent and full of meaning. And like all of us, you
still fall short of what He has in mind for you. More than you know (and
perhaps in different ways than you think), sin has retarded and warped your
personality. It keeps you from being all that you were meant to be.

No
matter how much you have grown, God is not content for you to remain as you
are; and no matter how little you have grown, He has not given up on you. He
wants to liberate you more and more from any inner chains that bind you and deform
you -- chains of hostility or resentment, of self-blame or regrets, of anxiety
or fear, chains of inferior or superior feelings. His plan includes making you
over into His image, beautifying you with a moral excellence far beyond your
potential as a mere human.

"He
made you into a polished arrow." (Isaiah 49:2 NIV) George Swinnock once
noted, "We know that sticks are by nature not arrows… By nature they are
rough, but by careful workmanship they become smooth and straight."

Monday, February 15, 2016

Why is
it so hard for us to believe that God's love really is unconditional and that
we should imitate God's love not only for others, but also for ourselves?

Perhaps
we have regarded self-centered behavior too harshly.We are unwilling or unable to give ourselves
the same gentle grace that God offers us and that we believe should be offered
to others.Leap from doubt to belief and
remember that God loves you, delights in you, and yearns for your
response.

Friday, February 12, 2016

Daniel Webster, a 19th century lawyer
and statesman, was courting his wife-to-be, Grace Fletcher. As he held skeins
of silk thread for her, he suggested, "Grace, we've been engaged in
untying knots; let us see if we can tie a knot which will not untie for a
lifetime." They stopped right then and tied a random silk knot that would
be almost impossible to untie. Grace accepted Webster's proposal.

After they passed from this world, their
children found a little box marked "Precious Documents." Among the
contents were letters of courtship and a tiny silk knot -- one that had never
been untied.

Those
who know the love of Jesus can boldly say, "For I am convinced that
neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the
future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus
our Lord" (Romans 8:38,39).

--
Jim Bassett, quoting from Clifton Fadiman's The Little Brown Book of
Anecdotes

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Jesus said, "The time is coming -- indeed it's here
now -- when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The
Father is looking for those who will worship Him that way." (John 4:23 NLT)

Worship
is an act of obedience of the heart. It is a response that requires the very
core of who you are, to love the Lord for who He is, not just for what He does.
Worship is more than singing beautiful songs in church on a Sunday. It is more
than instruments and music. As a true worshiper, your heart will long to
worship Him at all times, in all ways, and with all your life.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

When we take a tumble and cry out to God
in our shame and distress, the psalmist says God "inclines His ear"
to us. He bends over to listen. We say, "Oh, Father, I've failed! I've
failed terribly. Look at what I've done!" And then God puts His arms
around us, just as a loving earthly father would do. He then says, "I
accept you just as you are. I acknowledge that what you have done was wrong, as
you've confessed it to Me. Now, My son, My daughter, let's move on."

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

"Don’t copy the behavior and
customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing
the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is
good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12: 2 NLT)

God accepts us as we are, but longs for
us to become more. When we learn to cooperate with Him and seek His will as the
supreme good of our lives, then we can believe what He already believes about
us -- that we can be vastly more than we are. We need not forever be the
victims of our earlier conditioning. God has put within us the power to change,
to overcome our handicaps, and to grow.

Monday, February 8, 2016

This past Sunday is a hinge for us. With
this week, we move from Epiphany into Lent -- going literally from the
mountaintop into the desert.

The mountaintop is much more comfortable
and the pull to stay there is incredible. But the desert is where Christ leads
us. Christ leads us there because that’s where so many of our sisters and
brothers whom He loves live. Christ leads us there because our common destiny
is as partners in this mission of God.

Christ leads us down the mountain and
into the desert, because the true transfiguration, the true shining forth of
God in all God’s glory happens when we follow Him there together.

Friday, February 5, 2016

There is a story told about a man who
was accused of some wrongdoing and was brought before a judge. When the judge
asked if he had an attorney to represent him, the man answered, "No, I
can't afford one."

The judge replied, "Well, don't
worry about that.I'll appoint a lawyer
to represent you, and I will choose a real good one."

"I appreciate that, Judge,"
answered the man. "But if you
really want to appoint somebody to help me, what I need most is not a real good
lawyer, but several real good witnesses!"

And
that's what God wants too, isn't it?Some good witnesses!Will you
step forward and volunteer for that job?That's our calling as Christians -- to be God's witnesses.Let's define the term.A good witness is one who knows something
firsthand, one who has seen or heard or experienced something.A good witness is one who can bring the truth
to light.

-- James
W. Moore in When You're a Christian, the Whole World is from Missouri

Thursday, February 4, 2016

The
Christian's greatest goal is to be like Christ. We want to emulate His
exemplary life, model His method of teaching, resist temptation as He resisted
it, handle conflicts as He did, focus on the mission God calls us to accomplish
as Christ focused on His. And certainly it is our desire to commune with the
Father as the Son did throughout His ministry and suffering. No greater
compliment can be given than this one: "When I am with that person, it's
like I'm in the presence of Jesus Himself."

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

A Sunday school teacher once had two new
boys in class.When she asked their ages
and birth dates for registration, the blond boy said, "We're both
seven.My birthday is April 8, 1976, and
my brother's is April 20,1976.""That's impossible!" blurted the confused woman.The dark-haired boy piped in, "No, it's
not,.One of us is adopted."Before she could stop herself, the teacher
asked, "Which one?"The boys
looked at each other and said, "We asked Dad a long time ago, but he just
said he loved us both and couldn't remember which one was adopted."

God
has only one begotten Son -- the rest of us have been adopted.Your heavenly Father has not only adopted you
but also completely accepted you in the Beloved.Your all-powerful, all-knowing heavenly
Father has chosen to forget your past.He sees you just as He does His only begotten Son.You have become a coheir with Christ.You can now call the almighty God your
Father."You should behave instead
like God's very own children adopted into His family -- calling Him
"Father, dear Father'"(Romans
8:15 NLT).

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Most of us want God to let us know what to expect around
the next corner or in the upcoming week. We want to know what's coming so that
we can insert it in our mental day planners. And if God doesn't come through
for us, then we're filled with fear and trembling, or even some anger. We say
to ourselves, "Doesn't God know how important it is that I know how
such-and-such will go?" Oddly enough, we're always surprised when we
discover that God is more concerned with our faith and trust in Him than
whether we know how the boss will like our latest marketing plan.

Monday, February 1, 2016

"Casting
the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your
concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and
cares about you watchfully." [Psalm 55:22 Amplified]

It's
not hard to have faith when all of our bills are being paid and our kids are
healthy and our marriage is intact. It's not hard to have faith when God gives
us everything we want. The true test of faith comes when circumstances are
difficult, when our train of hope gets derailed.

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Welcome to SOUND BITES

By David T. Wilkinson

Over the years I have collected quotes that pertain to the Christian faith and life in general. As I have read or studied what others have written, I have been struck by the profound thought that is captured in their few short words. These quotes have been shared through SOUND BITES Ministry™ , a five-day-a-week inspirational e-mail ministry, and now are shared through this blog as well. You will also find us on Facebook by clicking SOUND BITES Ministry on Facebook.

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How SOUND BITES came to be

During Lent 1999 God prompted me to think about a new idea as to how I might share these thoughts with a broader audience. At the same time, our family was experiencing the first anniversary of the death of our son, Dustin, who died at the age of sixteen from a brain tumor. So, beginning on that anniversary, March 29, 1999 we began an e-mail ministry in memory of Dustin that we call SOUND BITES: Something to chew on that is good for the soul™. Five days a week, Monday through Friday, I share one of these quotes with subscribers. Hopefully recipients find something of faith and life to think about and chew on, which feeds their soul and helps them grow spiritually. Since its inception, over 4,000 daily quotes have been sent out. The subscriber list continues to grow numerically and geographically with subscribers in every state in the U.S., and also in Canada, Mexico, and numerous other countries around the world. Currently more than 2000 subscribers receive SOUND BITES directly via e-mail and many others second hand. Now through this blog we expand our outreach even more. To read comments on the 13th anniversary of SOUND BITES Ministry™, click 13th Anniversary Comments.